Hamilton Airport aligns its carbon management with global climate goals at Level 4 of Airport Carbon Accreditation.

(Official notification from Airport Carbon International)

We are delighted to confirm that Hamilton Airport in New Zealand has met all the necessary requirements to upgrade to Level 4 Transformation of the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. At Level 4, airports are required to align their carbon management with global climate goals, transforming their operations with absolute emissions reductions in mind and strengthening their stakeholder engagement to achieve Scope 3 emissions reductions.

Operated by Waikato Regional Airport Ltd (WRAL), Hamilton Airport’s carbon management aligns with the global 2050 Net Zero carbon climate targets set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The airport has implemented several initiatives toward this goal. One such initiative is the installation of a $1.5 million solar energy farm, commissioned in December 2023. The solar farm, a first for a New Zealand airport, powers the terminal and ancillary buildings during the day. It has already provided immediate energy savings of about NZ$100,000 per year, a figure that will increase as the next stage is completed over the coming years. Stage two will enable solar powering of electric vehicles and additional energy savings. Hamilton Airport, aiming for Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050, has achieved a 20% reduction in emissions since 2019 and is targeting a 46% reduction by 2030.

Mark Morgan, CEO at WRAL, highlighted the importance of partnerships with the whole airport ecosystem: “We’ve got some other projects in the pipeline alongside partners which are exciting. We have a long-term commitment to a very clear goal and, while we’re making progress, there’s still a lot of work to do.”

Discover more about Hamilton Airport’s unique approach to sustainability here.